Greinke looking less likely to be ready for first start

It remains touch and go whether Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke will be ready to pitch the the first week of the season. PAUL SANCYA, AP

AT A GLANCE

THE GAMES: The Dodgers’ minor leaguers turned up the offense in the late innings of Friday’s early game but lost on a walk-off single to the Padres, 8-7. In the night game at Camelback Ranch, Yasiel Puig powered the team past Kansas City, 8-1.

PITCHING REPORT: Aaron Harang said he tried to do too much, leaving his pitches up in the zone. He got battered for five runs in four innings and now has a double-digit spring ERA. … Stephen Fife allowed just three hits in 4 2/3 innings in the night game.

HITTING REPORT: Puig hit an impressive two-run homer to right-center and added two singles and a stolen base. … Matt Kemp had his third hit of the spring in the day game.

DEFENSE REPORT: In the first game, Adrian Gonzalez flubbed a hard-hit ball hit right at him for an error. … Skip Schumaker, playing second, made a nice sliding play to capture a grounder but had to settle for a fielder’s choice, not a double play.

GLENDALE, Ariz. – The Dodgers and Zack Greinke appear to be running against time to get the right-hander to make his first scheduled start of the regular season, but they're not convinced just yet.

Greinke, the team's big offseason signing, missed the past week because of inflammation in his right elbow before resuming throwing Friday. He hopes to recover in time to start April 2 against the San Francisco Giants, but could be forced to push back his Dodgers debut.

On Monday, Greinke flew to L.A. to visit with team physician Neil ElAttrache and undergo platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy in the injured elbow. He then took the next three days off before playing catch with Dodgers vice president of medical services Stan Conte on Friday.

With that in mind, it's conceivable Greinke could be ready to throw a bullpen session early next week based on the precedent for PRP recoveries, according to Dr. James Gladstone, an orthopedic surgeon and co-chief of sports medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.

"If you're fixing something like inflammation with PRP, that can happen very quickly," Gladstone said in a telephone interview. "As long as you're not over-stressing the area, the effects can be good and you don't have to be as protective. If you're trying to get a partially torn tendon to heal, then a lot of factors come into play."

Greinke has no tendon tears, according to the Dodgers. His PRP was meant to be a low-risk option to speed up his recovery – although, as Gladstone and Conte both said, there is no proof it does that consistently.

"PRP has different properties," Gladstone said. "It can act as a good anti-inflammatory agent. People are using it for arthritic joint or pain or their shoulders to quiet inflammation and settle things down."

Greinke's biggest issue might be that he has yet stretch himself out this spring. His longest outing before the injury was three innings, and starting pitchers are typically expected to throw at least six innings in a single start before being deemed ready.

If Greinke throws a bullpen session early next week, as Dodgers manager Don Mattingly indicated is the plan, he could make his next start over the weekend. But even that best-case scenario would likely allow him only one more start before the season, which wouldn't set him up with optimal stamina.

Mattingly said Greinke will not make his regular-season debut until he's ready to throw a full start. Four innings is not of any use to the Dodgers in early April.

"I don't want him behind the 8-ball starting the season – behind, behind, behind and trying to catch up the whole time," Mattingly said. "When he starts, I want him to be able to continue on."

RAMIREZ DOING FINE

Two of Hanley Ramirez's three hits in the World Baseball Classic have been home runs, but that doesn't mean he's returning to his free-swinging ways.

Mattingly said he's pleased with what he's seen from his shortstop in limited WBC at-bats.

"The fact that he's hit a couple homers doesn't bother me," Mattingly said. "The fact that he's walking tells me that his approach is staying solid."

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.